Thread Tools

The Oakland Raiders stepped forward Thursday on the eve of free agency and signed Tommy Kelly to the largest contract ever given to a defensive tackle.

Kelly, a defensive end scheduled to move to defensive tackle this season, signed a seven-year, $50.5 million contract Thursday that has $18.125 million in guarantees. In the first three years of the deal, he will make $25.125 million.

The Raiders' plan is for the 300-pound Kelly to replace the retiring Warren Sapp as the three-technique defensive tackle in the Raiders' 4-3 defense. The move is similar to the one made last year by the Detroit Lions' Cory Redding, a franchise player who signed a seven-year, $47.5 million deal last summer, the highest among defensive tackles at the time.

Like Kelly, Redding was an effective run-stopping end with some pass-rush ability so the Lions believed he could move to tackle, work next to Shaun Rogers and create a solid 1-2 interior defensive tackle punch. The Raiders believe Kelly can emerge as one of the league's best interior defenders.

Kelly gained the confidence of Raiders coaches by averaging five tackles a game as a starter at defensive end. He's had 13 career sacks, and the Raiders believe he can be a pass-rushing force at defensive tackle because of his quickness.

First, though, Kelly has to get healthy. He's coming off a torn ACL that limited him to seven games last year. He had 30 tackles and a sack in those games. Kelly was going to be a highly coveted defender in free agency because he could play defensive tackle in a 4-3 or defensive end in a 3-4.

He came to the Raiders in 2004 as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State.

Wow! I really can't say I understand how Al Davis runs his team. You make a DT who is good, but not the best out there the highest paid d-lineman coming off an ACL tear is not exactly what I call good business. The $18 million in guarantees is almost as much as Nate Clements got last year as the highest sought free agent out there.

As a person who doesn't like the Raiders, I love how Davis stupidly runs his team. But as a fan of the Pats, I hate this deal because it only means that teams are going to go crazy trying to sign the more popular free agents. Samuel will probably get his $30 million guarantee now.

"Tommy Kelly is one of the best defensive linemen in the league. He's an outstanding player. They have a lot of good players, but he and [Charles] Woodson are probably about as good as you're going to get at their two respective positions, corner and defensive line. Kelly plays everywhere. He's a little bit like Howie Long in that Howie Long was a guy that they would move along on the front. They would take Howie and mismatch him against whoever they thought the other team's worst lineman was. There is a little bit of that with Tommy Kelly, too, find a guy that they want to go after and stick him there because he does have the flexibility to play outside and inside. He can pretty much play across the board. He can do everything. Play the run, rush the passer, he's good in pursuit. He's a very physical player. He's pretty good."

"Tommy Kelly is one of the best defensive linemen in the league. He's an outstanding player. They have a lot of good players, but he and [Charles] Woodson are probably about as good as you're going to get at their two respective positions, corner and defensive line. Kelly plays everywhere. He's a little bit like Howie Long in that Howie Long was a guy that they would move along on the front. They would take Howie and mismatch him against whoever they thought the other team's worst lineman was. There is a little bit of that with Tommy Kelly, too, find a guy that they want to go after and stick him there because he does have the flexibility to play outside and inside. He can pretty much play across the board. He can do everything. Play the run, rush the passer, he's good in pursuit. He's a very physical player. He's pretty good."